Barrel lifter



15, 19,50 W. M. RICH 2,519,067

BARREL LIFTER Fiied Feb.- 14, '1946 I l I INVENTORQ Mlle/rd M R/ah ATTORNEYJ Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARREL LIFTER Willard M. inch, Buffalo, N. Y. I 7 v Application February 14, 1946, Serial 0. 647,473

2 Claims. (Cl. 294.104)

' My invention relates' in general to lifting devices, and in particular to devices of the type sometimes referred to as grapples for lifting and transporting barrels, drums, boxes, packa es, or the like. a k

The principal object ofmy invention has been to provide a lifting device by which the object being handled is held in gripped position bythe reaction of the weight of the object upon the lift A further object has been to provide a lifting device which may be separately engaged with utmost facility for vertical lifting purposes upon barrels, drums, or the like which arestanding close together, as in storage warehouses and the like.

Moreover, my device is provided with hoist attaching means by which the amount of the grappling action of the device maybe altered for any given load.

Furthermore, my device is of such a nature that'it not only saves considerable labor in the handling of objects, but it is one which maybe easily attached to and detached from the objects being handled.

The invention further contemplates provision of a grapple device employing-opposite load-em,

gaging arms which are of unequal lengths.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing it in grappling position upon a barrel which is standing in upright position; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the device in grappling position upon a barrel reclining in a horizontal position, preliminary to pulling the barrel to an upright attitude.

While my device is also applicable to the handling of boxes and other such objects, it is particularly adapted for use in connection with barrels, drums, and the like; and for illustrative purposes it is shown in the accompanying drawings as being used in connection therewith.

' 'ing a clamparm II which The device comprises a hook member In hav- 5 extends downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, when grasping an object in vertical position, such as barrel indicated l2. A prong I3 is formed at the extreme lower end of the clamp arm H for engagement with the side of the barrel near its lower edge. The device also includes a gripping member. l4 comprising a pair of gripping arms I5l5 which are pivotally attached to the upper end of the hook member clamp arm I l by means of a pivot bolt l6. These gripping arms are spread outwardly from their pivotally connected ends in V-shaped manner so as to receive between their outer ends a brace 20 which serves to secure the outer ends of these arms in fixed spaced relation. A leg 2| extends downwardly from each end of the brace 20, and

each leg terminates in an inwardly inclined gripping prong 22 at its free end. The hook member clamp arm I I is considerably longer than the legs. 2l-2l whereby when the prong I3 is engaging the barrel at one end, the prongs 22 are disposed near the opposite end of the barrel and at its opposite side. ,By providing two prongs as at 2222 and one prong as at l3, a three point contact and suspension is provided for the object being handled. Hence, the gripping action upon the object will not only be secure, but rolling of the object'in the devicewill be prevented.

The hook member clamp arm II is formed at its upper end with an integral lifting arm 23 whereby the clamp arm and lifting arm unit "-23 provides a substantially rigid L-shaped member. The lifting arm is disposed to extend betweenthe gripping arms [5, and is provided with two spaced hoist engaging eyes 24 and 25 formed in tabs 26 and 27, respectively, extending vertically from the lifting arm 23 and formed integrally therewith. The hook member clamp arm H and the hook member lifting arm 23 may conveniently be formed of stock angle iron so as to insure unit rigidity thereof under load lifting operations.

While my device is generally applicable to various size objects or barrels, it is of advantage to have it so proportioned as to approximately fit the objects upon which it is to be used. As shown in the drawings, the clamp arm II is preferably of such length that when occupying the position shown in Fig. 3, the prong I3 thereof will engage around one of the end edges of the barrel when the gripping member [4 is in a position of substantial parallelism with theother end of the barrel. Thus, the spaced prongs 2222 of the last mentioned member will engage the outside surface of the barrel at the opposite side and near the opposite end thereof. A barrel, as indicated in broken lines, which is lying on its side may thereupon be pulled by the grappel device to an upright attitude by engaging the eye 25 with the hook 30 of a hoisting device such as a cable 3| depending from an electric hoist or the like. It will be seen that when the device is used in the position shown in Fig. 3, that the lifting arm 23, being arranged at an obtuse angle with the clamp arm II, will produce sufiicient leverage upon the arms I and when attached to a hoist to lift the object. Thus, when the hoist is operated the levering action of the device will securely hold the prong IS in position engaging around the far edge of the barrel while the prongs 22-42 are pressed into the opposite side portions of the barrel. Then, as the hoist continues to pull upwardly upon the cable 3| the barrel will be swung to a substantially vertical attitude, whereupon it may be either transported to any desired: place or lowered and releasedtozstand :vertically in substantially the same placefroin which it was elevated.

When the device is to be userlsimply toselevate and transport a barrelpreviously pechpylng 1av vertical position as indicated inFig'. 2; it ispreferabie to use-the eye-.26 for engagementwith the hoist hook 3Q. Wh'enso used, it is not necessary that the prong 53 of: the hookmember clamparin ll engage underthe bottom edge of the barrel (which cannot be accomplished unless the barrel is tipped somewhat to one side), butrsuch. prong "may be engaged against the side surface. of the barrel near its lower end whereupon it willbecome. firmly embedded in the material of the barrel by reason of the lever action of the hook member ll] around the pivot bolt is which is held in substantially rigid position by meansof'the gripping member it after the prongs 22-22. thereof have becometembedded in the material at the opposite side and-end of the barrel. Further. pulling'of the cable 3! will cause the prongs to be even more tightly forced into the barrel material, wherehy it maybe lifted and transported to any desired place without the possibilit of V A y I claim:

1. In combination, a barrel and a lifting device for hooking engagement with said barrel, said device comprising a pair of rigid spaced gripping arms extending across one end of the barrel and formed at their free ends with prongs for hooking into one side of said barrel and formed at their opposite ends with pivot apertures, cross arm means interconnecting said gripping arms, a pivot wall of said barrel at a position above the lower edge thereof, said lifting arm being disposed to .tions, thereof.

Numberextend over the first mentioned end of said barrel, and said hook member having pivotal connection with said pivot pin at a point near the juncture-oi the clamp arm and liftingia-rm portions thereof.

w 2. In combination, a barreliandalifting device for hooking engagement with said barrel, said device comprising a bifurcated gripping arm device extending-acrossone end ofthe barrel and formed at its free ends with prongs for hooking into oneside ofjsaid barrel and formed. at its opposite end with a pivot aperture, a pivot pin extending through said aperture, a; hook member having a clamp arm and an integral lifting arm arranged at an angle thereto, saidclamp arm being disposed to extend along theopposite side of said barrelandhaving a prong at its free end for hooked engagement with the opposite'side "wall of said barrel at a position above the lower edge thereof, said lifting armbeing disposed'to extend over the first mentionedend-oi saidjbarrel, and said hook member having pivotal connection with saidpivot pin at-a point near the juncture of the clamp'arm and lifting arm; por- WILLARD; M. 'aion.-

- REFERENCES errm r The following references are of I record in the file of" this patent: 7

UNITED STATES PATENTS Mueller et al. l Apr. 17,1945 

